Forum rules
This forum is for new kiters/beginners to share info and experiences and to get answers to kiting questions. All questions are valid. Please provide proper answers (no sarcasm/joke replies, etc.) as we'd like to avoid any confusion or misinformation.

Let's get this out of the way, please don't suggest for me to go take some classes and wipe my snot off my face. That's not what I'm asking you for and you will only make me hate you for sounding like a salesman. I have friends who kitesurf and that's the end of that.

Now onwards with the gear.

Style: freeride, jumping (hangtime), and a little bit of non-competitive racing (I like to go fast if it's safe). I will most likely stay away from riding waves as a novice. I don't want to do any tricks or be a show off, there are too many other things I could be doing instead of injuring myself and doing none at all.

I go to UC Santa Cruz, but I am around in the bay area during the weekends, I have a car, so Alameda is most likely my destination choice at least while I'm still a novice.

I'm 6' 5" @ 175lbs and have some lower back pain occasionally.

I have limited funds but I'm willing to pay for quality, comfort and safety over quantity and rags. That most likely means that I will buy only 1 new kite this season along with other required equipment.Kite: (I've been suggested 12m and that's what I'm leaning towards from reading some forums.)Naish Draft (1st choice so far)Ozone Edge or CatalystF-One Bandit 6?North Rebel or Fuse (but I read Fuse might have issues with bladder air retention)I decided against Cabrinha because they appear to be expensive and I'm not impressed.

I would like good kite depower so I'll have less chances for an accident.

Board: (I have no clue what the differences between the boards are even after looking at many of them)Please recommend a board based on technical characteristics not looks.I'm guessing that I'd need a 141-144cm board.

Harness:I'm planning to try some on in the local shops, because I know that a body around the waist and hips is very different between people, so I want a good fit.What I'm not sure about is whether I should get a seat harness (supposedly better for my back pain) or a waist harness.

Wet suite:I have a wet suite from body boarding, 4/3mm.I also have 2mm socks.I don't have a hood, but I'm not sure that I'll need one, do I?

Thank you

Last edited by kandrey89 on Sun May 12, 2013 9:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Recommend the gear, not what I should do. I see a lot of people on different forums making sales pitches about kiteboarding classes, so I just wanted to make it clear that it's not what I'm asking for help with.

Haha is this post for real. I am going to assume troll but hey am bored tonight so if you are for real here is my recommendations. Lose the chip on your shoulder. You don't know enough to not be impressed with Cabrinha. Ask your "kiteboarding friends" for recommendations on equipment or just buy something in a pretty color. You are smart about one thing however. Yes, stay away from the coast.

It is obvious that we can no more explain a passion to a person who has never experienced it than we can explain light to the blind. T.S.Eliot

wjb wrote:You don't know enough to not be impressed with Cabrinha. Ask your "kiteboarding friends" for recommendations on equipment or just buy something in a pretty color.

No I don't, so why don't you tell me, that's why I mentioned it.I already asked them and they were quite helpful, now I'm asking for other people's opinions. But apparently this forum isn't for Beginners, it's for trolls with brain damage. Maybe you should take some classes for that!